


The Ghost and the Guard 3

by TheMetalReaper



Series: The Ghost and the Guard [3]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: FNAF 3 - Freeform, Gen, Series, fnaf au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-14 16:44:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15393048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMetalReaper/pseuds/TheMetalReaper
Summary: In this third installment of The Ghost and the Guard, Michael and Charlie are travelling to Fazbear's Fright. Along the way, they'll meet old friends (and foes), learn new things about themselves, and, in the end, accomplish what both Charlie and Michael have been trying to do their entire life.I hope you enjoy The Ghost and the Guard 3.





	1. Part 1

The spirit cringes at the ramshackle state of the building. The cracks in the cinder block wall, the mold and mildew spotting the ceiling, it was all just so… “This place is  _ old _ .”

“Not really.” Her partner replies. “It’s all fake. They wanted a ‘spooky atmosphere’, or so I was told.”

In a moment of intuition, Charlie reaches into the cardboard box and pulls out the Marionette. Its plastic is cracked and faded with age, but the spirit clutches it to her chest anyway. 

“Is that really…” Michael stares down at her in surprise. 

Charlie grins back up at him. “It  _ is!” _ She holds the Puppet to her chest like a child with a doll. 

_ “Hey man! Ok, I have some awesome news for you! First of all: We found some vintage audio training cassettes.”  _ A young man’s voice interrupts them.  _ “Dude, these are like, prehistoric! I think they were like, training tapes, for like other employees or something like that.” _

Michael plops down in the chair. It had been a while since he had been in an office like this, but, for some reason, he felt right at home. 

_ “But I have an even better surprise for you, and you’re not gonna believe this! We found one. A real one.” _

Charlie stares out the window in shock. “W-which one?”

“I don’t know.” Michael flips through the cameras, trying to find it. 

_ “Okay, I'll leave you with some of this great audio I found. Talk to you later man!” _

A  _ click _ echoes throughout the building as the VHS tape is inserted and played. 

_ “Oh, hello! Hello, hello! Uh, welcome to your new career as a performer/entertainer for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Uh, these tapes will provide you with much needed information on how to handle/climb into/climb out of mascot costumes.” _

Michael chuckles at the familiar voice. How many of these tapes did Scott make? He turns to Charlie, prepared to comment, but stops when he sees the spirit’s face twisted with shock and fear. Michael follows her gaze to the camera screen. Staring back at them is a rotted animatronic rabbit. 

Charlie grabs her friends’ arm, hiding her face behind it. “T-t-that’s…” she whimpers between sobs. 

Michael scowls at the screen. “Well isn’t this a surprise.”

Suddenly, the screen resets and the animatronic is gone. 

_ “Where’d he go?!” _ Charlie’s eyes dart to the doorway, as if it could teleport. 

“There.” The guard growls, pointing at the screen. “He’s getting closer.” 

_ “Well, do something!” _ Charlie shrieks from somewhere behind him. 

After fiddling around for a moment, Michael manages to lure the thing away with the sound of a child’s laughter. 

His moment of victory is quickly cut short by the grimy shadow of Chica jumping at him. The guard falls out of his chair, gasping for breath. Charlie leaps into action, resetting the vents for him. 

Michael gets up, shaking. 

“You alright?” The ghost  asks, concerned. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Wait a minute…” Charlie stands in front of the window, staring out of it introspectively. “Mike… I feel someone. T-they’re here.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here at Fazbear's Fright, things are heating up! Conflicts are raging, and plans are being made. However will it end?
> 
> Enjoy ;)

“W-what do you mean?” Michael stares at her.

“It’s _them._ ” Charlie’s face lights up as she turns to her friend. “Gabe, Jeremy, Suzy, Fritz, Jonah… they’re all here!”

The guard’s face tenses when he hears the final name. “Jonah, as in…”

“Oh! I’m really sorry, Mike. I forgot.”

“It’s… fine.”

Charlie turns away, facing the wall. “Guys, it’s okay. You can come out! This is Mike, remember him?” She gestures toward the guard, who is checking the cameras, baiting the animatronic to keep it away.

Four ghostly figures appear behind Charlie. Michael swallows at he stares at them, fear in his eyes. Slowly, a fifth figure appears, apart from the others. He smiles shyly at Michael, who can’t help but gasp. Charlie laughs, scooping up the children in her arms.

“Oh my gosh, guys, I’ve missed you so much!” She giggles, tears in her eyes. All the children hug her tightly.

Gabriel smiles. “We missed you too!”

“I can’t wait to tell you everything I did!” Charlie smiles through the joyful tears welling in her eyes. “We had so many adventures…”

“We’re really proud of you, Charlie.” Suzy laughs up at her.

Fritz’s face turns melancholy. “But… I think it’s time for us go move on.”

“Oh!” Charlie twists her shocked expression into a calm smile. “You’re right. I’m just gonna talk to Mike for a minute, okay?”

The children nod, and one by one they peel themselves off of Charlie. She turns to her friend, who busies himself with the cameras. “Hey, uh, Mike?”

The guard looks at her. The suppressed pain and sadness in his eyes is obvious. Charlie swallows her instinct to comfort him, knowing that Michael would be embarrassed by it.

“Does there happen to be… birthday equipment in here? Like, party hats, cake, and the like?”

Michael looks off into the distance, thinking. “Maybe. But… why?”

“It’s how we’re gonna get these kids to pass on. We need to give them their happiest day.”

“How are we going to sneak past the… thing?”

“That’s where I come in.” A snarky grin crosses Charlie’s face. “I’m going to distract it with the Marionette while you give the kids their party.”

_“No!”_ Michael growls.

“Helping these kids is the only reason I’m here. I’m going to _save them,_ no matter what.”

“Not if it means you get hurt.”

“I’m a _ghost_ , Mike. It’s just a body.”

“But-” As Michael protests, a phantom Balloon Boy jumps out at him, screeching. With a smile, Charlie leans over and resets the vents. She climbs back into the Marionette, and begins to leave the room.

“Charlie, aren’t you coming with us?” Jeremy asks, nervous.

The puppet turns back to the child, her expression one of pain. “Not yet, honey. But I promise you, one day, I’ll be there with you. Guaranteed.”

“O-okay.” Jeremy smiles back at her, sad.

As the Marionette walks out the door, she calls over her shoulder, “Go, Mike. Now’s your chance.”

 

* * *

 

She creeps around the attraction, barely making a sound. Around the corner, she spots the thing, standing next to a sign that reads: “Introducing... the _SPRINGTRAP!_ Look out, it may be right behind you…”

_Springtrap?_ That’s _what they’re calling it?_ The Marionette ponders, _but, it does make sense._

The cracked plastic of the puppet creaks as she rounds the corner. The Springtrap turns at the sound. When he recognizes the Marionette, he leers at her.

“Well, look who it is.” His voice is strained, after years of not being used.

Much to her surprise, fear begins crawling up Charlie’s throat. When she’s finally able to speak (after a long stretch of silence), her voice is barely more than a whisper. “Afton.”

He laughs, but it comes out as more of a wheeze. “What are you _doing_ here, Charlotte? Are you bored of gallivanting around with the disappointment I call a son?”

“I… wanted to face you again.”

“A likely story, I’m sure.”

The two glare at each other for a minute.

“I know _exactly_ where they are. And it’s not exactly like you can stop me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Afton. I’m a spirit, I can’t break.”

“Maybe not, but this doll you’re inhabiting can.” Springtrap steps forward arms stretched toward the puppet.

The Marionette gasps, terror flooding her veins. She tries to stumble back, to no avail. Springtrap grabs her wrist, putting the other arm on her shoulder. “I hope this was worth it.” He sneers.

_Crack._


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Side note: I'm really glad I was able to finish this by the FNaFiversary! Thanks, Scott Cawthon, for this awesome game franchise~)  
> And finally, the sparking conclusion of The Ghost and the Guard 3.

It takes all of Michael’s sense to not panic, considering the group of ghosts he was leading down the hallway. Especially…

“I, uh, this is it.” The guard gestures to the mock party room. Four of the spirits understand, and one by one they trail inside, each spirits flashing him a smile or small nod. Until it was just Michael and…  _ him. _

“Michael?” The child looks up at him. “It is you, right?”

Michael smiles down at the spirit of his little brother. “Yeah… i-it’s me.” He takes a deep breath, his eyes beginning to water. “Luke… I’m so sorry, about everything. I just—“

“It’s okay. I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago. After the… accident, I watched over you for a while. I saw how sad and lonely you were. And when Charlie came to visit, she told me all about how nice you were!” Luke beams. 

_ What? _

Michael couldn’t believe it. “You… don’t hate me?” He whispers, throat constricted with the sobs he’s desperately trying to hold back. 

Luke flings his tiny arms around Michael’s waist. “Mikey, you’re my  _ brother _ . I could never hate you!”

_ It had been so long since he heard that nickname.  _

“That’s…” The guard lets himself sob, tears of relief streaming down his cheeks as Michael holds his baby brother in his arms for the first time in over 30 years. “Good to know.” 

The brothers cling to each other, trying to make up for their time apart. After what was too short a time (in Michael’s opinion, at least), they pulled away. 

“They’re probably waiting for us,” Michael says, pointing toward the door. Luke nods, and the brothers enter the party room. 

Michael’s footsteps echo through the rectangular room. Three cheap folding tables and matching chairs take up most of the checkered floor, but the guard moves comfortably through it, placing party hats on five of the seats, and handing balloons to each of the children. When he gets to Luke, he stalls for a moment. 

Luke smiles up at his brother, a bit of a question in his grin. “What… what is this?”

“It’s a birthday party. The birthday party you never got. That I…” Something catches in his throat, and Michael can’t finish his sentence. Instead, he just hands Luke the last balloon. 

“E-everyone,” Michael smiles down at the five spirits lined up in front of him, “Charlie wishes she could be here, but she… she’s helping in her own way.” He takes a deep breath, trying to stay composed. “I just wanted to say that she cares about each and every one of you. We both wish you the best of luck in your next life.” The guard can’t hold himself together anymore, and looks away. 

Gabriel moves into his line of vision. “Thank you, Michael. We hope you find what you’re looking for.” Michael nods at the child as he fades off.

“Buh-bye, Mike! Give Charlie a hug for me, will ya?” Jeremy grins, showcasing the gap in his front teeth. He waves one more time before he disappears. 

“Well,” Suzy slips her small hand into Michael’s. “I’m glad you were able to make up with Luke!”

Michael stares at her. “Wha- how… well, thanks.”

“Bye!” Suzy grins, squeezes Michael’s hand, and fades away. 

Fritz skips over to the guard, swinging his balloon. “It was super nice to meet you, Mike!” When he fades, Michael and Luke are alone yet again.

Before Michael can say anything, Luke wraps his arms around Michael’s legs. “Mikey, I can’t wait to see you again. I’m gonna miss you!”

“I’m gonna miss you too, Skywalker.” Michael chuckles quietly and picks his little brother up. “But I mean, we’ll be seeing each other again soon enough. I can promise you that much.”

The two hug for a minute, savoring the moment. 

“Well, you better get going.”

“See ya soon, Mikey!” Luke disappears, his balloon floating up to the ceiling, joining the four others. Michael lingers in the room for a minute, until-

_ Oh god. Charlie.  _

The guard sprints out of the room.  

 

* * *

 

 

“Lee? Where are you?” Michael rounds a corner, calling for his friend. No one answers. He checks his watch again, but the numbers have barely changed.

“Where are you, Charlie? I’m getting kinda-“

_ “I’ll put you back together, just to tear you apart all over again.” _

Michael follows the voice, and finds a rot-green figure bent over…

“Hey!” Michael yells at the creature,  _ “Get away from her!”  _

As the thing turns, Michael sees the Marionette’s pieces scattered around the floor. In its shadow is the Marionette, her legless body curled into a ball and shaking with sobs. 

The rotting bunny laughs when he sees Michael’s face. “Why, hello, Michael. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“I told you,” Michael continues, “to step away, father.”

“I must say, the company you’re running with these day is a bit… disappointing. Aren’t you a bit too old to be making friends with the robots?”

“And you’re still an ass and a sadist. What else is new?”

The rot-green suit takes a minute to chuckle at him. “I can tell by the pallor of your skin that you went and visited  _ dear _ little Lizzie.”

Before Michael can sputter a response, the clock chimes. 6 o’clock. The rabbit suit begins to turn away. 

It calls over its shoulder, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Michael.” And just like that, the thing turns the corner and disappears.

“Doubt it.” Michael mutters. 

“H-hey, Mike,” The Marionette croaks, “He’s g-gone, right?”

Michael scoops the broken body of the puppet into his arms, cradling it like a child. “He’s gone.”

Her sigh of relief is audible. “How’d it g-g-go?”

“It was… amazing,” The guard sighs, wiping the remainder of his tears from his face. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, it’s… it’s just a body. It’s just a b-body. Just… a… b-body...” The Marionette tries to hide her sobs, but she can’t. 

Michael holds her closer as he gathers the scattered pieces of the puppet. “We’re going home in a minute. It’ll be okay. Hang in there.” He picks up the last piece (a hand), and turns toward the wastebasket. 

“W-what…” The Marionette mumbles as Michael flicks open a lighter and drops it into the trash. “What’re y-you doing?”

The guard begins to speed-walk out of the building, carrying his friend. “Burning this place to the ground, along with everyone inside.”

“But-”

“We’re going home, and I’m going to fix you, and everything’s going to be fine.”

“Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. F-for letting me hang out with you, for s-saving them, for… everything.” With the little strength she possesses, the Marionette reaches out to hug Michael.

They make it out of the front door, as the building behind them is engulfed in flames. Michael lingers for a moment. “Lee, I… you’re so,  _ so  _ welcome. I should be the one thanking you, honestly.”

“For what?”

“Just being here for me. Being my friend.”

The two friends cling to each other as Michael climbs into his car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Michael and Luke watched Star Wars together when they were young. The first one came out in 1977, so they would've been able to see it before... everything started going downhill.


End file.
